Spain holds its first general strike in 14 years, and Barcelona ends in riots

Spain held its first general strike in 14 years on Wednesday, called by unions against the housing crisis and the high cost of living, and the day ended with serious rioting in central Barcelona.

Under the slogan “Wages, housing and prices,” thousands of people marched in the main cities. In Madrid, about 120,000 people joined the evening demonstration, according to local media.

In Barcelona, after the main march was called off, groups of hooded protesters hurled fireworks and Molotov cocktails at the Mossos d’Esquadra, set fire to the doors of the Apple store on Passeig de Gràcia and damaged storefronts including H&M and Lego. Catalan police counted 42 fires and barricades in the city center.

The toll in Barcelona is 52 arrests, six of them minors, and 36 officers injured, seven of them on leave, according to the Mossos chief commissioner. Across Spain, more than 50 people were arrested and the Interior Ministry recorded over 1,000 incidents during the day.

The unions called turnout “very significant,” while the employers’ association CEOE put it at 5% and called it a “historic low.” The strike comes less than three weeks before the November 29 general election, in which Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is seeking re-election.

Photo: El Riu

Source: El Riu